Why Do Kenyans Love Football So Much?
Although Kenya is not in the top countries in the world when it comes to the success of their national football team, and the team has never actually qualified for the FIFA World Cup, the nation is still crazy about the most popular sport in the world. Kenyans often gather to watch the matches of international teams and leagues, and the love for football is evident all over the country.
Why Kenyans Are Crazy About Foreign Football
Kenyans love spending time watching international football matches, especially the English Premier League, and here are some of the top reasons why that is the case.
Football Brings People Together
Many people in Kenya do not have cable in their homes, and they need to gather at the local pubs that screen popular matches and charge an entry fee to everyone who joins to watch. Regardless of what their income level is, Kenyans will not be sorry to spend part of their hard-earned money to join other fans and watch their favourite game.
Spending 90 minutes in the anticipation of exciting goals, surrounded by like-minded individuals helps Kenyans forget about the problems and difficulties from their daily lives. Also, fans often unite around their favourite teams so they could share interesting new details, analyze events, or just hang out and have fun.
They Enjoy Sports Betting
Being a sports fan and staying on top of news and events in the leading international leagues opens the door to another entertaining activity which is sports betting. Kenyans love testing their sports knowledge by placing bets on their favourite teams, and nowadays, thanks to the increased availability of mobile devices and the internet, they can do it whenever and wherever they wish.
The people in Kenya love betting on football, especially because now they can access many international betting sites that accept m-pesa – a mobile banking service that Kenyans frequently use to transfer or store money using their mobile phones. All this has sparked their love and appreciation for football even more, and now they can both watch and bet on their favourite teams.
The Excitement
When people get invested in a good game, they can hardly even find a moment that’s boring, especially during the closing minutes. Passionate fans feel the adrenaline rush every time there is a chance for a score change, and they find it impossible to step away from the screen even for a second.
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Football is full of excitement, and Kenyans love it all – the hype, the analysis, the unpredictable moves, as well as the end results. Kenyans deeply feel the emotions that follow each game. When their favourites win, they experience the thrill that comes with the victory, and when they lose, they feel for the team.
It Is Adored From an Early Age
The strong love for football nurtured by Kenyans starts showing during childhood. Despite the fact that many children in the country have no access to manufactured balls and other equipment, they play with what they have in order to experience the thrill of the game.
Children are so eager to play that they learned to make their own balls and goal posts using whatever materials they can find. They often play in the grassless fields, some of them barefoot, and they enjoy every second of their own matches, eager to come back for more when it’s done.
The Quality of Foreign Leagues
Famous international leagues such as the English Premier League and the Italian Serie A are played in world-class stadiums, supported by excellent managers, and guarded by top-notch security which almost eliminated the cases of hooliganism.
Basically, everything about the leagues is done professionally, reaching for the highest possible quality. The teams are financed by wealthy sponsors and managers can stay comfortable when it comes to spending on new and seasoned players. Everything about the top leagues is analyzed in detail by experts and well-known football legends, and all events are streamed regardless of when and where they are taking place.
Competitiveness
Football is a competitive game, and just like in many other parts of the world, it is taken very seriously in Kenya, and people care deeply about what happens in a particular match, sometimes even taking it personally. Football itself has many features that make it super competitive.
There is always one team opposed to another, followed by a heated atmosphere, running, fast change of events, and a bit of aggressiveness, too. When it comes to big events like The World Cup or The Champions League, most games are very tight and the teams will do whatever they can to win, making the matches extremely entertaining to watch.
Despite the low performance of the country’s national league as well as the fact that the nation is achieving great success in some other sports, Kenyans are crazy about football. The population adores the top foreign leagues, and they enjoy spending time gathering together in local pubs to watch exciting matches.